


As Intended

by Ilral



Category: Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Blister Wins, Gen, references to slavery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-26
Packaged: 2020-06-11 04:05:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19525567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilral/pseuds/Ilral
Summary: Eight years ago, an IceWing named Hvitur managed to escape the forces of Princess Burn, and deliver his precious cargo to the Talons of Peace. Things worked out significantly less well than expected, especially for Glory. Her rainforest home has become a prison camp, she's forced to perform for the entertainment of the NightWings, and worst of all a curious NightWing dragonet with the power to read minds has broken into her house and is trying to cheer her up.





	1. Chapter 1

Glory trudged down the dirt path, wishing she had a parasol. There were no trees in this part of town anymore, and the sun was beaming down as strong as ever, despite it being late afternoon. After spending all morning in the Gardens, her brain was so fogged that she almost forgot to hunch down and look away as a NightWing guard passed on the other side of the street. Luckily the worst thing he sent back at her was a nasty sneer.

Once he was a few paces down the path, she kept moving. The clips on her wings ached, seemingly taunting her with her inability to escape. Her home was just ahead, right next to the high stone wall that kept the jungle animals out.  _ And keeps the RainWings  _ in, she thought. At least she could see a little bit of greenery peeking over the edge, and occasionally a mango would fall over the wall and she’d have something to barter. With a heavy sigh, she slipped through the door and secured the latch behind her. Her tiny home was nice enough--it was private, kept her shaded from the mind-numbing sun, and it had almost two rooms. If you counted the divider between the eating and sleeping areas as a wall. 

She slipped off the phial of antivenom secured around her neck, hanging it up next to its twin on the hooks near the door, and grabbed an apple from the bowl on her counter. It wasn’t very sweet, but she needed some sort of food, and what the visitors ate in the Gardens didn’t appeal to her. Crunching away, she turned the corner into her “bedroom” and gasped. 

There was a small NightWing fast asleep on her bed, not more than five years old. “Gah! How did you get in here?” she asked, frills flapping involuntarily. This was  _ very bad _ . She took some pleasure in flouting the little rules, like making rude gestures at the Gardens’ patrons when they weren’t looking, but this was way worse than that. If they found out that she’d gotten this close to a NightWing dragonet--let alone while it was asleep--she’d be killed or worse.

“Bwuh?” murmured the dragonet, lifting her head from the bed and staring up at Glory. There were little specks of silver by her eyes that Glory had never seen on a NightWing before. “I, uh, jumped through the window.”

“Well you can jump back  _ out _ . I could be--I could get in  _ massive trouble _ if anyone knew you were here!” said Glory, trying to not scare the poor thing too much. Less chance of her running to the authorities that way.

“I’m not gonna tell the guards!” the dragonet butted in. 

“Cool. Now get!” Glory pointed to the window, unable to resist spreading her frills a bit and hissing. She had no intent of spitting on this dragonet, but she didn’t need to know that. 

The dragonet winced, cringing away from her, but didn’t scream. “I don’t--could you please let me stay?” asked the dragonet, staring up at her with wide, teary eyes. “I p-promise to hide whenever the guards come around. I’m very good at hiding from them.”

Now  _ that _ was interesting. Was this little NightWing some kind of outlaw? Surely they wouldn’t lay a claw on one of their precious dragonets, though. “... fine. I’ll let you stay until sundown, and then you’re out of here.” 

“Oh, thank you, thank you so much!” The dragonet wrapped her forearms around Glory’s neck and nuzzled her muzzle against Glory’s, making the larger dragon yelp and recoil. “My name’s Moonwatcher, by the way, b-but you can just call me Moon.”

Glory rubbed her jaw. “I’m Glory.”  _ Not that it matters to a NightWing _ .

“Of course it matters!” Moon protested.

Glory eyed her curiously. “Did I suggest it didn’t matter to you?” Moon suddenly tensed up, averting her gaze.  _ Great, now the poor thing is terrified. Wait, poor thing? When did you start developing empathy for NightWings? _

“I, uh… can you keep a secret?” Moon shrank down on the bed, curling her tail around herself.

She shrugged. “I guess. Who would I tell? The only people that’d listen are all too sun-drunk to remember anyway.”

“Well, okay…” Moon shuffled her wings nervously. “I can read minds,” she stammered out, then quickly covered her mouth.

For the first time in months, Glory laughed. “Sure you can, dear. And Morrowseer can see the future.”

“No, he--never mind, I really can read minds. I’ll-I’ll prove it--think of something I couldn’t possibly know!”

Something she didn’t know, huh? That’d have to be something she’d never told any NightWing, then--they had plenty of tricks to make it  _ seem _ like they were reading minds. What about…

“You did  _ what _ with a mango?”

A wave of pink crossed Glory’s normally dull green scales. “It was a  _ papaya _ ! Not my fault that they’re the exact size and shape of a RainWing egg!” She huffed and looked away, still rippling with pink. Telling a small child about her misadventures in pretending to incubate a dragonet were  _ not _ how she’d expected this afternoon to go.

As soon as Glory started shouting, Moon hid behind her wings. “S-sorry, I didn’t meant to embarass you… it is kinda cute, though. You wanted to be a real mommy.” 

“Okay, I believe you about the mind reading thing! Can we  _ please _ stop talking about that? My friends still… well, they used to make fun of me for it.” Her face fell a bit. 

“Oh no… if it’s any consolation, I’ve heard way worse from some of the NightWings around here.” Moon grinned despite herself.

“Oh? Do tell.” replied Glory, hopping up into the bed. It was big enough for them to sit apart, but Moon seemed quite happy laying right against her. Glory was  _ not _ happy with this, but she also couldn’t just push a NightWing around willy-nilly. 

“You know the guard lieutenant, Heartfinder?”

“I think he’s ogled me in the Garden, yeah…”

“Well, he keeps a drawing of Princess Greatness under his pillow for, er,  _ practice _ .” Now it was Moon’s turn to blush.

Glory grinned. “I’m not sure whether to be disgusted or amused.”

“Oh, that’s not the only drawing he has of Greatness. There are… a great many.” Moon’s tone indicated exactly what  _ kind _ of drawings those were. 

“Congratulations, you’ve forced me to settle on disgusted. Never thought I’d feel bad for the glorious Princess.”

“I dunno… she ordered me to be locked up, but she also seems really stressed out from what I can tell.”

The bedframe creaked as Glory tensed, digging her claws into the woven covering and tearing out small gashes. “About what? All the money she’s raking in selling my people as slaves? Or maybe her giant new palace and beautiful rainforest kingdom?” 

Gesticulating wildly, Moon explained:“Her mom’s dead and now Morrowseer’s trying to make all the decisions. Says that since he’s the one that made up the prophecy and put Blister on the throne, he should be in charge. And the Princess isn’t strong enough to stand up to him, especially while she has to pretend her mom is alive.” 

“Wait, Battlewinner is  _ dead _ ? Since when?”

Moon slowly lost what little color her scales had had. “Oh  _ stars _ , you’re definitely not supposed to know that! J-just don’t tell anybody and I’m sure it’ll be just fine!” she yelped. 

It was taking more willpower than Glory wanted to admit to not hug Moon and tell her it was going to be okay.  _ Stupid dragonets and their stupidly cute little eyes, argh!  _ “Swear on my life, I won’t tell anyone… it is interesting, though.”

“It’s not interesting, it’s h-horrible and I wish I hadn’t told you! That’s why I broke into your house in the first place, because I couldn’t let anyone else find out that I knew!” Moon was on the edge of tears now. 

“What would they do to you if they found out?”

“Probably dump me in the desert to become vulture food, like they did with Spearminder… or just h-hang me from a tree,” she replied, murmuring that last part. Clearly some bad memories there. 

“I don’t think the NightWings would ever want me getting that close to a tree. They’d have to execute me again afterwards!” Glory joked, trying to lighten the oppressively grim mood that had settled over them. Apparently it didn’t work, because Moon burst into tears. Glory stared awkwardly at the wall as the dragonet bawled, hoping nobody would hear. 

Eventually Moon quieted down, and there was a soft shuffling as she pulled Glory’s blanket over her head, wrapping herself in the thin fabric until she was just a sobbing lump near the head of Glory’s bed. Glory patted her softly, trying to find the right words. “It’ll be...okay. I promise.”

“Nothing is  _ ever _ going to be okay!” Moon moaned, wriggling away from her. “Nobody ever wanted me around before, and now they want me  _ dead _ , and I can’t go to m-mom for help because she’s… she’s…” her voice faltered, but Glory could tell exactly what the mind-reader was thinking.

“That’s terrible!” said Glory, persisting in her efforts to comfort Moon. It wasn’t like any of her friends were around to find out, these days.

“How would you know? You’re a RainWing, you never even  _ had _ a mother!” Moon snapped, from under the sheets. 

“I uh… shit, you got me there.” Still, Glory knew what it felt like to lose people you cared about… and she did have a  _ brother _ , so there was that! Moon grumbled, but didn’t respond, so Glory just laid a wing over her and sat there for a long while, finishing her apple. Eventually a little black snout poked out from under the blankets. 

“C-can I have something to eat?” Moon asked, still sounding upset. 

“Let me see.” Glory got up from the bed and looked through her pantry. It was barren, as always. Despite the meagre contents, though, she still had enough to share. She’d just have to be extra polite tomorrow, maybe get extra rations. “Hope you’re okay with fruit”. Most NightWings disdained the RainWing diet, but there weren’t really any other options for Moon.

“I am, actually.” Moon said, as Glory returned with a banana in hand. That seemed like something she was proud of. 

“That’s good,” replied Glory. She poked the end of the banana under the blankets, and Moon grabbed it with her teeth, pulling it into her little fortress. The squishing sounds from inside were a bit worrying. “You better not make too much of a mess of my bed. You gotta sleep in that.”

The sound of eating stopped. “You’re actually letting me stay?” Moon asked. 

“Uh, yeah. I’m not just gonna let them  _ kill you _ .” She had to have some standards, after all. NightWings were scum but letting them kill a child didn’t help anyone.

“We’re not scum!” protested Moon.

Glory’s scales rippled with red. “Look, kid, the Nightwings decimated my entire tribe. There were hundreds of us, and now there are like… ten. Everyone else was taken. I’m only free--if you can call it that--because of random chance, and I still have to beg  _ your people _ for scraps so I don’t  _ starve _ !”

“...sorry,” mumbled Moon. She wiggled the pile of blankets a bit closer to Glory, pressing up against her chest. 

“It’s not your fault. They screwed us both…” An idea was starting to form in Glory’s mind, the same one that had bubbled up again and again over the last few months. Then, it had seemed like an impossible folly, but now… “Actually, that gives me an idea--”

“There’s no way. If they found out we were planning that, we’d be killed, or  _ worse _ .”

“What choice do we have?” Glory pointed out. “Unless you want to hide in this hut for the rest of your life.” Trusting Moon with this idea was a risk, but they had a common enemy, and mind-reading would come in really handy.

“No, but… well, I guess it could work.”

“Look, I’ll give you some time to think. The guards will probably be distracted when we all head back to the Gardens tomorrow morning, so you’ll get a chance to slip away.” 

“And if I don’t?” Moon asked.

“Then I’ll assume you’ve come around, and you’re ready to escape the Rain Kingdom.” 

* * *

By any objective standard, the Gardens were beautiful. The Nightwings had been very efficient in clearing away the high foliage of the jungle, leaving only the trunks of the trees behind to support a riotous variety of bushes and vines, which seemed to flower every day of the year. Paths had been cut through this chromatic thicket, lined with benches and chairs for Nightwings to sit at and enjoy a soft conversation, or perhaps a cup of coffee. Even the high stone walls around the place were becoming greener by the day, as vines grew up and through strategically placed slots.

Glory hated it. From her vantage point, on a platform lashed to a tualang tree, she could see everything. The other rainwings, already sun-drunk and flickering in riotous colors for the enjoyment of their captors, the ballistae hidden just behind the walls, ready to shoot down any escapees, the thin mesh net spanning the whole area. This was just a pretty prison. She nestled a bit closer to the tree-trunk, trying to remain in the shade of the branches above as the sun rose. She could feel the sleep starting to overtake her, but something was still amiss, in the back of her mind.

Moon hadn’t said whether she intended to stay after Glory left. Glory really,  _ really _ hoped she had, and not only because the little mind-reader was her best shot at escaping the rainforest. Seeing Moon curled up under her sheets, scared and alone, had woken something in Glory’s gut--something that she hadn’t felt since the day of the invasion.  _ Gah, like I needed another reason to hate being stuck in this stupid tree. At least the guards won’t be patrolling our camp during the day. Most of them are here. _

She glanced down to confirm her suspicions, and saw something odd. The guards were indeed lazing about on the benches, tossing each other grapes, but there was also a newcomer. He wasn’t particularly large or well-decorated, but from the way he carried himself she could tell that he was very tense and trying not to show it. Oddest of all, he had a parasol at his side, along with a strange pouch at his neck. 

One of the guards--Heartfinder, as it turned out--got up to greet him, and they exchanged a few words. She couldn’t hear from this far up, but Heartfinder seemed to be getting pretty mad until the stranger touched the pouch at his neck. In an instant, the NightWing quailed, and motioned toward her tree. Glory shrunk back, trying to hide that she’d been staring at them. 

“Hey RainWing, get down here!” shouted Heartfinder, and she looked back over to see the stranger glaring at him. What an odd fellow. Still, orders were orders, and she leapt down from the tree, flapping once to come to a landing before them. Now that they were all on the ground, she realized how tall the stranger was. He was at least half-again as big as her, and a head taller than Heartfinder. 

“Please, Heartfinder, have a little decorum. She has a name.” The stranger bowed his head to her, and Heartfinder gave him a confused look. “I am called Deathbringer, and you are?”

“Glory,” she said, after a moment’s hesitation. There was a hungry look in his eyes, one that a bit of politeness couldn’t cover up.  _ If I’m being honest, the name isn’t helping me trust him either _ .

He smiled, showing teeth that were a bit shinier than the other NightWings’. And sharper too. “Pleased to meet you, Glory. Heartfinder, do you mind if I take this one aside for a moment? Surely the Gardens will be just as fine with nine RainWings.” When the guard hesitated, Deathbringer’s claw went to the pouch around his neck.

“I-I’m sure it will be fine.” Heartfinder stammered, and lead them to a table. 

Deathbringer waved him off as soon as they arrived, and lay down on one of the benches placed around the wide marble table. Glory noticed that he’d left the one shaded by the parasol on the table for her, which was nice of him. Unlike the other NightWings, he didn’t seem very comfortable. Instead of draping himself over the bench, he kept a defensive posture, legs held under him and tail curled tightly. “Well? Don’t be a stranger. Sit.”

Glory sat. They stared at each other for a long moment, though Deathbringer’s gaze seemed to drift over her body as hers stayed focused on his face. Finally, she broke. “So? What’s your game?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replied, with a wry grin. 

“Why’d you call me down from the tree; you’ve never even  _ been _ here before.” She heard the note of frustration in her voice before he did, luckily, and managed to stop talking before she got in trouble. 

He shrugged. “Not during the day, no. But my quarters in the palace have a brilliant view of this place. Being in… my line of work, you get a lot of time off, and I never was one for reading.”

“You’ve been watching me?” It was a growing struggle for her to keep her voice as unfocused and passive as the NightWings expected, though the remnants of her sun-drunkenness did help. Keeping her scales a neutral teal was even more difficult.

A violet blush spread over Deathbringer’s face, and he looked away. “Not watching as such, just… admiring. They don’t allow me out as much as I’d like, or I’d have come and met you sooner.”

“What’s so special about me?” she laughed. It was mirthless, but the best she could do. 

“Oh, what  _ isn’t _ ? You, Glory, are destined for greatness. I can see it in your eyes, in the way you carry yourself… how you examine the other NightWings at the Gardens. You’re not like the others; you have  _ ambition _ .” He said the word like it was some sort of magic talisman, as opposed to a surefire way to get whipped again. 

“What? No, not me. I think they beat that out of me right after they took our sloths.”

The glimmer of ivory from Deathbringer’s mouth made her tense, until she realized that he was smiling. “And a sense of humor, too! But seriously…” He leaned in close to whisper something to her, and she wasn’t quite scared enough to pull away. “ _ I know about your little plan. _ ”

Her scales rippled with green and red like a bouquet of anthurias. Denying it was foolish; she’d probably just make him angry, and an angry NightWing was nothing to trifle with. But she couldn’t trust him, either. Could she? “ _ How much? _ ”

“ _ Enough to know you’re not happy in the Gardens, and never will be. I can solve that problem. _ ” Deathbringer leaned back, still smiling at her. 

A bit of blue began to sneak back on to her scales."What are you offering?" she asked, curious. 

"For now? A bit of time in the shade, and some interesting conversation. What comes next is up to you." Something about his tone made her shiver, though it didn't sound threatening. Quite the opposite, in fact.

She forced down her unease, though it frazzled the edges of her wings with brown. "Up to me? What, do you want me to pose for you, or something?"

Deathbringer's laugh wasn't  _ quite _ honest enough. "No, no, nothing so hasty, Glory. All you need do is meet with me in the shade every day that I choose to visit the Gardens. You needn't even speak with me, if it'd make you uncomfortable. Your presence--and your un-dulled wit--are more than enough reward."

Staring at some of the other NightWings enjoying the Gardens, Glory took a moment to mull it over. It was difficult to get things straight; she hadn't eaten that morning and looking at the others just reminded her of that. "Could you get us something to eat? I'm trying to think over your offer but I'm starving."

That caught him off-guard. "...Of course. Waiter?" He waved one of the waiters over. Glory knew that the palace had RainWing servants--she'd seen them on her way to work, over the fence--but they weren't allowed in the Gardens for whatever reason. Instead, they were approached by a dour Nightwing, wearing a red silk cravat. 

"Yes?" asked the waiter. She glanced at Glory curiously, but said nothing.

"Could you get some mango-glazed pork for the fine lady?" He motioned to Glory, and her scales flushed pink despite herself. Nobody had ever called her  _ fine _ before. Well, people had called her 'fine' in the sense of 'fine, I guess we're gonna eat plantain for dinner tonight', but not like Deathbringer had. 

The waiter blinked, now staring more intensely at Deathbringer than Glory. "Right away, sir." She hurried off before anything weirder could happen. 

They sat in silence while the waiter fetched her food. Glory had nothing to say that a NightWing would find interesting, and Deathbringer seemed quite occupied with looking at her. She wasn't sure she liked that, but it was better than the threats. So she tried to relax, letting her scales settle back to their neutral teals and oranges. 

After a few minutes that felt like eternity, the waiter returned, carrying a fruity-smelling platter. Once she'd set the platter down, Deathbringer shooed her off, giving Glory time to inspect her meal. The tray was stacked with sliced ham, cold and cured as NightWings liked it. She took a curious bite, and shivered. The only thing worse than warm, bloody meat was tepid and dry meat. It teased her with a hint of fruit, but there was none of the sweetness or juice that a real fruit needed.

"How are you liking it?" Deathbringer asked. 

Glory shrugged, swallowing a final slice of ham and pushing the rest of the platter away. "Good enough." There was a pause, as she considered Deathbringer's intentions. Sure, he was a creep... but along with Moon she now had two powerful allies. Her odds of getting out of here were looking up. "I'll take your deal, Deathbringer," she said, scales flickering with green.

"Excellent. I await our next meeting with bated breath," He stood up from the bench, indicating that her time on the ground was over.

"Also, I really gotta come up with a better nickname for you. Deathbringer has  _ way  _ too many connotations,” she joked, clambering back up into the tree. He didn’t laugh.


	2. Chapter 2

That evening, Glory hurried into her hut, locking and bolting the door as quickly as she could. She didn’t even bother to take off the antivenom around her neck before charging around the divider. 

“Hi,” said Moonwatcher. The dragonet was perched on the bed exactly as Glory had left her, though there were no longer tear stains around her eyes, and the twitching of her ears and tail had ceased. Even as the cloying warmth of the sun left Glory, some piece of it stayed behind, deep in her chest. The feeling only intensified as Moon smiled back at her. 

“Moon! You stayed!” she said, struggling not to shout or hug her. For once, her aspirations of escape seemed like more than a childish fantasy. This could really work!

A purplish blush spread across Moon’s cheeks as she heard what Glory was thinking. “I didn’t exactly have anywhere else to go.” As she flexed her claws, Glory could see they were stained with mud. “I did go for a walk though… picked a few things up,” she mumbled, nodding towards the pantry.

Curious, Glory opened the little cabinet to find it near-overflowing with fruits and tubers of all sorts. There were even a few small piles of spices, fresh-picked and diced into little pieces. It was more than enough to keep them fed for a few weeks. “Where did you get all this food?” Glory asked.

“W-well, I wanted to repay you for taking me in, and I knew you were short on food…” She trailed off, seeing the concern on Glory’s face. “I didn’t steal it; I just sorta… slipped out while I was bored, and did what I usually do.” Moon shrugged. “You pick some things up, living in the jungle for most of your life.” 

“How’d you avoid the guards?” Glory asked, then did a double take. “Wait, most of your life? How come we never saw you before?”

“It’s pretty easy to avoid people when you can hear their thoughts. NightWings are even louder than RainWings, with all the worrying they do.” 

“Huh, I guess that  _ would _ help.” New possibilities were whirling through Glory’s mind. “Well, you didn’t have to do this for me, but it is  _ very  _ appreciated. I also have some good news for us, though I don’t think it’ll be as tasty.” She took a mango from the pantry and bit into it, shivering a little as the juice flowed down her tongue. It must have been months since she’d had a proper, fresh fruit. Plus she could wash the taste of that awful pork Deathbringer had gotten her out of her mouth. 

“Who?” asked Moon.

It took Glory a moment to realize who she was asking after. “Oh, he’s part of the good news. He’s like, this NightWing bigwig who doesn’t get along with the others, and he wants to help get me out of the Gardens!”  _ Nevermind that he’s kind of obsessed with my body, and I don’t know how to feel about that _ .  _ Wait, shit--Moon, you weren’t supposed to hear that! _

Moon shrank back a little. “I can’t help it, sorry...but he sounds cool! I mean, apart from the name, which is unnecessarily threatening.”

“Yeah… what was his mom  _ thinking _ ? I guess we’ll never know. Well, unless you happen to meet her one day. ” Moon giggled, and Glory took the opportunity to flop down next to her on the bed. Her scales bubbled in pink and gold for just a moment, until the phial of antidote around her neck jingled. In an instant, they returned to a dour blue-green, edged with gray. “Oh, sorry. Need to hang this up.” Spirits knew she wouldn’t want it  _ breaking _ . 

“What is that, anyway? I’ve never seen any other RainWing wearing a phial like that.” Moon asked. 

“RainWing venom,” Glory said, and Moon recoiled. “Oh, don’t be such a baby. I’ve got ten times as much of the stuff inside me right now.” Her frills flicked out for emphasis, but her scales went blue instead of red. 

Taking a moment to calm her breathing, Moon replied: “Why carry it, then?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare tell. Ancient RainWing secret.” Glory wiggled her eyebrows, triggering an eye-roll from Moon. “No, seriously, it is kind of a secret.” She was having trouble not thinking about it, so she focused on eating her mango. Nothing about any venom would cross her mind, just the taste of juice. 

“I told you about Battlewinner,” Moon protested.

“By mistake.” There was a pause as Glory sucked the last of the flesh from the mango pit, and hucked it out the window. Her indifference about where the waste ended up seemed a bit off-putting to Moon, but she figured  _ someone _ was going to pick it up, and that dragon was probably one of her captors. “Fair enough, though. The venom has only one antidote; itself,” she explained, sitting back down on the bed. 

Moon examined her neck, confused. “How does that work?”

“Easy; it’s neutralized by the venom of a related RainWing. Ordinarily, we’d never use our venom on an animal, but the NightWings don’t trust us.”  _ They’re right not to _ , she thought, though the fear that crossed Moon’s face was disconcerting. “They make us wear venom from a relative whenever we’re out, so if we spit on someone it can be neutralized quickly. And we have to be  _ milked _ for venom every few weeks.” The process took a lot out of them; spitting out a pint of venom at a time could leave them lethargic for days while it regenerated. 

“Why don’t they just remove your fangs? Or your venom glands? That’s what they do with the other RainWings.” 

A flicker of red crossed Glory’s scales, almost too quick to see. She had to remind herself that none of this was Moon’s fault, even if she was a NightWing. “Beats me. My guess is that I’m only around because someone  _ else _ needs an antidote. But there’s tens of RainWings who fit that bill.”

“Any particularly famous ones?” Moon asked. Quite a bold question, for an orphan. 

“Not really. Think I’m distantly related to one of the queens--Grandeur. But everyone’s related to one of the queens.” Glory scratched her chin, wondering if the queens were nearby. She felt like she would’ve recognized them in the Gardens, especially Exquisite. There were no sloths in the Gardens. 

“Wait,  _ one  _ of the queens?” 

“Sure, we have more than one queen. Well, had. Anyone who felt like it could take a turn at being queen. After all, what did the RainWings have to worry about?” she snarked, not allowing her scales to change. “I really can’t be sure, though, because we don’t keep track of family lines like your people do. Everyone is friends anyway, and we generally check each other’s venom before dating.”

“Huh…” There was a stale silence between them; the kind Glory detested. They’d become more and more common since the invasion, now that she was stuck in this hut with nothing to do. The blankets rippled slightly as Moon kneaded them with her claws and furrowed her brow. “Do you think Deathbringer is trustworthy?” she asked.

“I… no, he’s not. Not yet, at least.” Glory felt a little sour, and wished she didn’t have to be so hard on a potential ally. Still, they’d known each other for only a few hours, and he clearly had ulterior motives. “But what choice do I have? He’s powerful and interested in me.” Interested  _ how _ , she wasn't quite sure. But the churning in her gut was almost certainly not lovesickness. 

“So? Lots of powerful dragons are interested in me.” Moon crept a little closer to her, until they were shoulder-to-shoulder.

“Dragons who now want you dead, yes,” she snapped. Instantly, Moon drew away. “I’d rather have him as a shaky friend than a certain enemy.”

“What if he wants something more from you?” 

The question pierced to the center of Glory’s anxiety, which was why she didn’t answer it. Flickers of purple formed under her eyes, before she blinked them away. “Don’t lecture me on romance, Moon. You’re four.” 

“And you’re seven, and how old is he?”

Glory realized that she wasn’t sure, which was disconcerting. Deathbringer certainly carried himself like an adult around the other NightWings, but he seemed to have a softer side as well. Or at least a more generous one. “Older.” She glared at Moon, daring the dragonet to complain.

The weary sigh that followed had no business coming out of such a small dragon. “All I’m saying is to be careful.”

“Be paranoid, you mean.” Glory replied, frills flicking in and out. Moon grumbled, but did not reply. The rest of the night passed in silence. Soon after dinner, Moon fell asleep, and Glory sulked in the other room until her eyelids finally got too droopy. 

* * *

That morning, before she left for the Gardens again, they exchanged barely six words. Her scales were still the color of embers when she finally got there, and she nearly spat venom at the NightWing who’d removed her wing clips before she went in. Trying to get them to shine again took up so much of her attention that she didn’t even see Deathbringer waiting by the base of her tree. 

“Hello, Glory,” he said, leaning up against the trunk next to him with one wing outstretched. Despite his stiff posture, he was clearly making an effort to be less threatening. Too bad, then, that he’d surprised her so.

“Oh! Deathbringer!” she yelped, wings flapping a little. In an instant, her scales flushed and then returned to normal. “You scared me.”

He frowned, straightening. “Sorry.” The dour expression lasted a moment, and then broke into a wry smile. “Sometimes I forget about my astounding physique.” 

“Astoundingly  _ good _ ?” Glory asked; that got a chuckle from him. “But seriously, why are you here?”  _ And why are you telling jokes? Especially about… your body.  _

“I came here early and asked the guards to exempt you from Garden duty today. Well, you can still get your sun, but I’ve got a parasol ready too. In any case, much easier than strolling in at noon and demanding you come down.”

“And they just  _ let _ you exempt me?” Her gaze went to the pouch around his neck, and so did his claws.

“I can be persuasive,” he said, stepping away from the tree and leading her to the same spot as last time. There was already a platter of food on the table--he’d planned ahead. Glory had to admit, that kind of dedication was enticing. If only he’d gotten some fruit instead of more pork and venison. As they sat down, he picked at the platter, tossing a few morsels into his mouth before pushing it toward her. “Hungry?”

“No, I already ate.” She might have still been mad at Moonwatcher, but that wasn’t enough to keep her from taking advantage of her newly-full pantry. A worry crossed her mind, and she hoped the dragonet wasn’t getting into too much trouble while she was away. 

Deathbringer pulled the platter back towards himself. “Fair enough. I’m glad that you’re well-fed nonetheless…” There was a hint of bitterness in his tone, though she had no idea from where. “Why were you so upset when you came in?” he probed.

She froze for a second, suddenly very aware of her scales. “I… lost one of my antivenom vials. Have to go  _ way _ out of the way to get a new one.” Making a flicker of green and orange cross her scales was difficult, but they were close enough to her normal colors that she could sell the illusion of annoyance. “Where’d you learn how to read scales, anyway?”

“Telling that you were mad wasn’t exactly one of Mastermind’s assignments,” he said. Glory had no idea who he was talking about, but he continued before she could ask: “You were lit up like a lava flow. Not a terrible look for you.”

Okay, so at least she didn’t have to worry about Deathbringer  _ really _ reading her scales. There was a lot more nuance to it than just broad emotions, but only a RainWing could really interpret that. “I suppose you’ll have to make me mad more often,” she joked.

A breathy sigh snuck between his fangs. “I’d rather not.” Once he’d given her ample time to respond, he took another strip of venison and spread out slightly on the bench. “Perhaps a less personal subject, then? Or we can simply enjoy each other’s company.”

Glory wasn’t quite ready to do that, but getting to choose the subject was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. Deathbringer clearly knew a  _ lot _ about the outside world, and he didn’t seem afraid to share information with her. If she was to get out, she had to know what was going on outside the rainforest… and she’d never even been outside the rainforest. “What’s happening in the world these days? It’s terribly boring here.”

He stiffened, taken aback by the directness of her question. “That’s quite the heavy topic, I’m afraid. Are you sure you wouldn’t like to talk about something nicer?” he said, attempting to divert her. As if there was anything outside worse than what was going on in her own home.

“Quite sure.”

“Very well… I guess I can start with the latest news from the Sand Kingdom: Queen Blister’s finally hunted down the last of those craven Outclaws, and burned their den to the ground,” Deathbringer said smugly. Glory had no idea who the Outclaws were, and only a faint image of Blister, so she nodded and said nothing. “That’s the nicest thing I’ve got… everywhere else seems to be having a rough time of it. The IceWings are still dealing with rebel groups all across their land, and Moorhen’s people are suffering under a drought. Nobody’s quite sure  _ what _ Queen Scarlet is doing, but she doesn’t seem intent on surrendering any time soon. And of course the SeaWings haven’t been seen in ages.”

“Of course.” Without context, Glory had no idea what any of that really meant, but it did seem pretty grim. That fit with what she’d known about the outside world before; a place of strife and famine compared to the peace and prosperity of her home. Then the NightWings had showed up and started setting things on fire. “I suppose you wouldn’t be willing to tell me the news happening just outside these walls?” she ventured, morbidly curious.

“I’d rather not tell you  _ here _ , where every guard in the Gardens can see. Besides, I have to keep some secrets, or you’ll stop talking to me.” He grinned, and she resisted the urge to tell him he was wrong. 

Her scales swirled with color, confused vines of emotion snaking out across her wings. Enraptured by the display, Deathbringer was barely paying attention to her words when she asked: “So where, then?” 

“Hm?”

“Where can you tell me?” A secret location to plot their escape plans would be perfect, especially if it was safe for Moon. Her hut was liable to be searched if suspicion fell on her, and then the jig would be up.

Glory twitched as his tail brushed against hers, sliding up beside it and twisting ever so slightly. Her eyes widened, but nobody could see them touching in the shadow under the table. It wasn’t much of a gesture, but it was the most she’d felt since the invasion. “You’ll find out eventually. I don’t intend for you to stay here forever, Glory, but it takes time to maneuver a NightWing bureaucracy, and there’s only so many favors I can call in. Morrowseer was already leery of me even talking to you, let alone inviting you into my chambers.”

Two pale salmon blotches formed on her cheeks, and she couldn’t quite meet Deathbringer’s gaze. “Your  _ chambers _ ?” she asked, half-teasing and half-enthralled. Did he really want to… with  _ her _ ?

“Don’t be crass. I invite plenty of trusted friends into my chambers. Admittedly, none of them are half as beautiful as you.” His tail pressed into hers a little harder, and the blotches on her cheeks grew, sparkling with violet and fuchsia as her mind wandered slightly. 

There was a commotion outside, and she pulled back suddenly, scales fading to teal as a shout went up from the guards. Deathbringer was on his claws in a moment, reaching for the pouch on his neck. “Just a second. I’ve got to deal with this.” There was a glint of steel emerging from the pouch before he turned away and sprinted for the gate, leaving Glory alone. The other guards looked after him nervously, and then back to her. With a sigh, she clambered back up into the tualang tree. 

A second later, the sound of heavy flapping came from above as a SeaWing limped through the air, moving out over the net as blood streamed from the deep gashes on his cheek and right foreleg. Two Nightwing soldiers followed behind, though he was clearly far larger than them. Wary of his oversized talons, they kept a safe distance as he hovered above the net, breathing hard. “I don’t want to hurt you, NightWings. We share a common enemy!” There was a heavy  _ thwunk _ as one of the ballistae outside fired, and he only barely rolled out of the bolt’s path. Glory realized that the SeaWing’s chest and belly were coated in battle scars. 

“You’re the smartest tribe, surely you can see that Blister’s using--oof!” The SeaWing was cut off as a dark blur darted over the wall and slammed into him. They tumbled through the air, shouting and grappling, until the NightWing drove him down into the netting. 

His wings slammed into the net, breaking with a sickening  _ crack _ before they slid to a halt. 

Standing over him, barely winded, was Deathbringer. One of his claws clutched a thin hoop of steel, and the other was wrapped around the SeaWing’s neck. “Coming here was the last mistake you’ll ever make, Riptide.” Glory couldn’t believe her eyes; the strange NightWing diplomat who’d moved a mountain of paperwork to talk to her was about to  _ kill _ someone, mere yards above her head. Even worse, he didn’t even seem that upset about it. He held Riptide down with the same cool ease that she’d use to pin an unruly sloth.

A flash of fear crossed Riptide’s scarred face, before hardening back into defiance. “Even if you silence me, the Talons will know what you’ve done. You can’t hide this forever!” He kicked upwards, raking Deathbringer’s belly with his rear claws, but the NightWing tightened his grip on his throat, drawing out beads of blood from around his talons. Struggling to draw breath, he turned his head to shout to the Rainwings below, who’d begun to waken: “We’ll--gkk--come for you!”

“Ugh, your voice is nearly as annoying as your meddling. Shut up now, and I’ll make sure to kill you quickly.” Deathbringer said, raising the hoop. Before Riptide could reply, the other two NightWing soldiers landed on the netting and set it bouncing, knocking them off-balance. Quick as a whip, Riptide swept his leg into Deathbringer’s, throwing him to the ground and allowing the Seawing to regain his balance and get into a fighting stance. 

“I won’t be silenced by--ghk!” 

Deathbringer’s claw flicked forward, and the strange metal hoop buried itself in Riptide’s throat. With a gurgling hiss, he fell to one side, clawing at his throat in a desperate attempt to slow the bleeding. Blood fell through the netting, staining the blooms below and forcing one NightWing couple to find a new table. As Riptide shuddered and died, most of the onlookers didn’t seem upset, and  _ nobody _ was looking at Deathbringer. Glory, though, couldn’t take her eyes off of him. The faint aftertaste of pork grew bitter in her mouth, and her stomach churned.

He turned away from the corpse once it stopped twitching, motioning to the guards. “Clean this up,” he ordered, then flew away again. The guards managed to lift the heavy bulk of Riptide’s body between them, and slowly ascended before flapping off to who-knows-where. A moment later, Deathbringer returned through the Garden gate, wiping some blood off his claws in the dirt. His gaze fell on their now-empty table, and Glory froze. “Glory, you can come down now.”

She hesitated, and he looked up into the tree. There was no menace in his eyes, but she couldn’t help but see the same cold stare he’d given Riptide, right before killing him. Had Moon been right? Part of her wanted to stay in the tree where it was safe and admit Moon had the right idea. But the stronger part was still hopeful--after all, who knew what Riptide had been up to. Maybe he’d been trying to steal RainWings to use their venom, or assassinate some NightWing leader. Either way, it probably wouldn’t have ended well for her, and it was at least a little good to know that Deathbringer wasn’t all talk. 

Still, as she climbed down from the tree and rejoined Deathbringer at the table, she couldn’t help but worry. Had she sacrificed a true ally for a false friend? 


End file.
